Lemon Risotto with Peas, Proms and a Bake Sale

 We've had a few extremely busy weeks and I feel like a broken record repeating it, but it really has been a wild ride here. Between senior proms, my surgery, soccer tryouts and various other functions, it seems almost impossible to find any time in the kitchen, nonetheless take pictures or write something. I might as well apologize already in advance, because until the middle of June I don't see it getting any better. 

To get back to the Proms though, both of them were a rousing success. She looked beautiful to her father and I (and we might be a tiny bit biased on this) and made us both choke up when we realized that our little girl is not so little anymore. The second prom which she attended with her best friend really hit us hard, they all looked so grown up and the little twinge I've been getting in my stomach about her leaving us soon hasn't let up and reality is starting to set in more with each day. Either way, I promised you all a picture, so here it is. Our daughter is the one in the pink dress which fit her personality perfectly and the girl in the yellow is her best friend.

The second thing on my agenda today is to let you all know that I'm participating in an online bake-sale that Becky from "Baking and Cooking, A Tale of Two Loves" is hosting on May 2nd. The bake-sale is going to be in the format of a silent auction and you can bid on some great goodies. Becky is hoping to raise money for a very worthy cause: Relay for Life, that will benefit the American Cancer Society and which she is also participating in. My contribution for this auction will be my Nutella Chocolate Cookies. The highest bidder will be able to pick their choice of bittersweet, semisweet, milk chocolate or white chocolate chips to customize the cookies to their taste. I hope you'll hop on over and check out all of the goodies up for auction and support a great cause that is very near and dear to my heart as well. My own daughter is actually participating in one of the Relay's for Life in our home state and will be walking in honor of her Opa, my dad, who passed away from cancer a few years ago.

Trying to bring this hodge podge of a blog post back to food isn't going to be very easy or eloquently, but here it goes, just pretend I'm doing a fine job. This Lemon Risotto with Peas has been in my recipe files for several years and it truly is perfect for, well Spring. I found this recipe in a Light and Tasty Magazine and besides the fact that it is actually somewhat healthy, it also tastes great. If you've ever cooked a risotto, you know that they are not hard, but they do take a little bit time and quite some stirring. This risotto has a wonderful bright taste from additions of white wine, lemon juice and lemon zest, but also a creaminess that only a well cooked risotto produces, along with the sweetness of peas and the nuttiness of freshly grated Parmesan. I usually serve this risotto alongside grilled salmon, but chicken or even lamb are just as tasty. If you enjoy a good risotto with a nice lemony flavor this is definitely a great recipe to try.

Lemon Risotto with Peas
(adapted from "Light & Tasty Magazine")
(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients:

5 to 5 1/2 cups chicken broth
2 shallots, finely chopped
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups uncooked Arborio rice
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/3 cup white wine
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon peel


Preparation:

In a medium saucepan, heat broth and keep warm.

In a large nonstick skilled, saute shallots in butter for 2-3 minutes or until tender. Add the rice, thyme and pepper; cook and stir for 2-3 minutes. Stir in wine and lemon juice. Cook and stir until all of the liquid is absorbed.

Stir in heated broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly. Allow liquid to absorb between additions. Cook just until risotto is creamy and rice is almost tender. Total cooking time is about 20 minutes.

Add the peas, Parmesan cheese and lemon peel; cook and stir until heated through. Serve immediately.

Yield: 8 servings

Ina Garten's Lemon Chicken Breasts

 
A few weeks ago I came down with a strep-throat like infection. I was miserable for several days and was pretty much surviving on  pudding and chicken broth until the antibiotics finally kicked in and brought relief. To keep me entertained, while trying to feel better and occupying the couch, I decided that watching some food-network was in order. Needless to say, it was also quite torturous watching the chefs prepare delicious looking dish after dish and not being able to eat. On the plus side though, I took tons of notes and ended up with several recipes on my "must-make list". One of the shows I watched was with Ina Garten aka the Barefoot Contessa, which had me and my husband (who kept me company) literally drooling watching her prepare a recipe for lemon chicken breasts. We decided right then and there that this recipe would make an appearance on our dinner table as soon as I was able to eat solid food again.

This recipe is a must for any garlic and lemon lover. There are no subtle flavors in this dish, it is a smack you in the face kind of recipe and will truly satisfy a craving for a "done right" chicken dish. Nine garlic cloves are heated in a bit of olive oil on the stove before lemon juice, lemon zest, white wine, oregano and thyme round out this flavor experience. The scented oil is then poured into a baking dish, de-boned, but skin on chicken breasts are placed on top of the lemon-garlic mixture and are brushed with more olive oil before receiving a final sprinkle of salt and pepper. For good measure and to ensure even more flavor a cut up lemon is tucked in between all of the meat into to the pan before baking. After a baking time of around 40 minutes, you are left with incredibly moist pieces of chicken and a sauce that is to die for.

I served this dish with rice, freshly grilled asparagus, and some crusty bread which helps to sop up all of the delectable sauce that is literally good enough to drink. This recipe is easily made on a weekday, but certainly would make for an impressive entree if entertaining as well. If you've been in a chicken "rut" and are always on the hunt to add a little excitement to dinner time, I highly recommend this dish. This is one of the few recipes that I've made recently that was good to go as written without me changing anything and that doesn't happen all too often. So far, none of the Barefoot Contessa's recipes have failed me yet and this one will be added to the list!

Ina Garten's Lemon Chicken Breasts
(adapted from "Ina Garten")
(Printable Recipe)


Ingredients:

1/4 cup good olive oil
3 tablespoons minced garlic (9 cloves)
1/3 cup dry white wine (I used a Chardonnay)
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme eaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 boneless chicken breasts, skin on (6 to 8 ounces each)
1 lemon


Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Warm the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, add the garlic, and cook for just 1 minute but don't allow the garlic to brown. Remove pan from stove, and off the heat, add the white wine, lemon zest, lemon juice, oregano, thyme, and 1 teaspoon salt and pour into a 9 by 13-inch baking dish.

Pat the chicken breast dry and place them skin side up over the sauce. Brush the chicken breasts with olive oil and sprinkle them liberally with salt and pepper. Cut the lemon in 8 wedges and tuck it among the pieces of chicken.

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken breasts, until the chicken is done and the skin is lightly browned. If the chicken isn't browned enough, put it under the broiler for about 2 minutes. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Serve hot with the pan juices.

Israeli Couscous with Balsamic Glazed Vegetables

I'd like to thank you all of you for your kind comments, thoughts, prayers and emails regarding my surgery. It meant a lot and I don't say this lightly. My surgery went off without a hitch Thursday and I was back home resting that evening. I had a few days of more pain than I expected, but I'm feeling a little better with each day.  I still have to take it easy for a few more days, but didn't want to leave you all "hanging". I'm not ready to hop back into the kitchen just yet, but I made a few recipes ahead of time before I went in for my procedure. So again, thanks to all of you and your support :o)

I love shopping at Trader Joe's and no, this is not a paid advertisement, it just happens to be one of my favorite grocery stores. It reminds me a lot of the stores I grew up with as a kid. Small, neighborhood stores with a fairly limited assortment of products, but yet everything available that you would need. Trader Joe's is like that. I could spend hours walking through that little store, checking out all of the cool and unique products they have. I always check out their flowers and more often than not, I end up with a bouquet in my basket to brighten up my day. Next up, I always have to stop at the cheese coolers, the glorious, amazingly stocked cheese coolers where I usually stand and have to check out all of the mouthwatering and at times, unique flavors. I also enjoy their wine selection and always seem to walk away with a new find. In fact, they do carry a lot of things that you just can't find at an ordinary grocery store and it is also the place where I buy my couscous among many other things. Israeli couscous that is, because my local supermarket likes to be difficult and won't stock it.

Israeli couscous is just one of those interesting foods, that put a little smile on my face every time  I cook with it. I don't know exactly what it is about it, but I guess I enjoy that the texture is quite unique and unlike regular couscous. Many times I turn it into a salad or simply cook it in some chicken broth for a bit of added flavor. This time though, I wanted to incorporate a good amount of vegetables into the dish and not just any vegetables, but balsamic glazed ones. Red and green bell peppers along with onion and baby portobello mushrooms were my choice for this recipe. To make this a true vegetarian dish, I decided to cook the couscous in vegetable broth to infuse flavor throughout. While the couscous cooks, the cut up vegetables are simply sauteed in a bit of olive oil.  They are seasoned with salt and pepper and a final touch of balsamic vinegar made these vegetables a standout. I also made sure to cook them "al dente" since I wanted to keep the integrity of the vegetables intact. Finally they are folded into the cooked couscous before serving.

The end result was such an incredibly tasty dish, that goes well with so many things. Anything from chicken to fish would be wonderful alongside, but it can certainly stand on its own as well. I served this dish hot right out of the pan, but happened to try it once it had cooled down, and it was equally delicious at room temperature. This turned out so well, that my family has already requested this dish again and with it being chock-full of good for you ingredients, I certainly won't have a problem cooking this in the future.

Israeli Couscous with Balsamic Glazed Vegetables
(Printable Recipe)


Ingredients:

For the couscous:
1 1/3 cup Israeli couscous
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 3/4 cups vegetable broth

For the balsamic vegetables:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 medium red onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, 1/2-inch diced
1 green bell pepper, 1/2-inch diced
1 pound baby portobello mushrooms, cleaned and chopped
Kosher salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Preparation:

For the couscous: In a 2 quart saucepan, saute 1 1/3 cups Israeli couscous with 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat until couscous is lightly browned (about 5 minutes). Slowly add 1 3/4 cup hot vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and cover. Simmer for 12 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.

For the balsamic vegetables: In a large pan, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions, peppers and portobellos and saute until vegetables begin to soften. Season with salt, pepper and balsamic vinegar. Continue to cook until most of the moisture from the vegetables has evaporated and the balsamic has glazed them, making sure not to over-cook the vegetables. Fold the sauteed vegetables into the cooked couscous and serve immediately or at room temperature.